Can I do anything about excessive facial sweating, which I have been told is due to the Fibro?

[Ellington77]

Honestly, it's so bizarre. The act of simply getting dressed, as an example, causes my face to literally drip sweat. The rest of me is fine, so I can't even label it as a hot flush as I don't sweat anywhere else, until I start to do something more strenuous. It's embarrassing, messy, I carry wet wipes or a soft cloth, and a mini fan around everywhere I go. It makes my face so sore and irritated. I enjoy wearing makeup, but I can't wear it anymore, unless I take everything out with me to reapply! Please tell me I'm not alone, and is there anything medical that can be done to stop or reduce it?

[LoneEra]

Speak to your GP first. There are tablets for excessive sweating - the medical name is hyperhidrosis.

If your GP isn’t helpful, you can go privately to a dermatologist and have treatments like Botox - which are used to reduce sweating (yes, it’s not just for wrinkles!!).

I don’t have quite the same issues as you but my body does get really hot - so I tend to wear clothes that are loose (ish) and made of natural fibres like cotton.

As for make up, have you tried mineral powders for the face? I find these give a lot finer coverage and don’t streak like normal make-up. You could also go for a good waterproof mascara and eyeliner. I swim a lot so always have waterproof stuff. Private message me if you’d like to know what brands I use (I’ve tried loads).

Hope that helps! Xx

[Ellington77 in reply to LoneEra]

Thank you for your reply. I'll ask my GP if there is any medication I can try. Another friend suggested the botox, but I just can't afford it. I have tried SO many makeup products, I could open my own store! I do use mineral powders and it still ends up being patchy, creased or completely sweated off 😔

I'd love tips on waterproof eyeshadow, liner and brow products as I still haven't found anything that lasts more than a couple of hours. Thank you x

[LoneEra in reply to Ellington77]

I hear you! I found a specific primer that helps the mineral powder look better and also the brush you use makes a massive difference...I bought a £25 that turned out to be soooo bad and now use a £4.99 one from Amazon that works great 😂 I’ll message you over the weekend with waterproof product ideas as my brain is a bit iffy today and I’ll probably give you the wrong names!!

[Cat00 in reply to Ellington77]

Mac liquidlast eyeliner is what I use, it's very durable and waterproof. I use a cheap waterproof mascara from boots. I sweat a lot on my face because I do these crazy classes at the gym. I have hyperpigmentaion and use Estee lauder double wear foundation it's the best I've found.

[Hidden]

I have unbearable sweats night and day, have for years. Suddenly water starts dripping off my face and arms. I change clothes, take showers, change sheets and nightgowns at least once a night. It is so uncomfortable. Mine is due to my chronic leukemia.

[Ellington77 in reply to Hidden]

I'm sorry you're having such an awful time with the sweating. I do regularly suffer night sweats and have had to replace mattresses because of it. I hate using waterproof mattress protectors as they make it worse. Thank you for your reply 🙂

[Pte82 in reply to Hidden]

PacificCLL, research liposomal vitamin C for the sweating and to build collagen to strengthen blood vessels and skin to prevent bruising and purpura. I understand Delta tocotrienol has shown benefits for chronic leukemia. Have you heard of it?

[Hidden in reply to Pte82]

I have taken liposomal Vit C for years (did not notice any change), as for Delta tocotrienol, I see that is a type of Vit E, I do not see any reference to that helping CLL, only prostate cancer...

[Pte82 in reply to Hidden]

PacificCLL , CLL is mentioned under STAT3 and Tocotrienols.

cansa.org.za/files/2013/02/...

[Makie-Uppie]

I get that, it will last for days. Doctor said it is just part of the nature of the condition and anything that would control my dribbling face would have negative side effects and really would not be worth it. I run about with a towel round my neck (nothing worse that a wet back of the neck) and pretend I'm in training for a world title. I do use Furosemide to remove excess fluid due to having a dicky ticker and that reduces it a bit.

[Ellington77 in reply to Makie-Uppie]

Although its not good, it's reassuring to know that I'm not alone with the sweats. I like the idea of making out like I'm in fitness training a lot and the towel round the neck is something I haven't used yet! Thank you for your reply 😊

[AllthatGlitters]

I sweat down my front all of a sudden and have night sweats too. I am now on HRT and it’s made a big difference. It was driving me crazy before I got treatment x

[Ellington77 in reply to AllthatGlitters]

Thank you for your reply. I was wondering if I was heading towards menopause or something else hormonal was happening. I'll ask my GP about it 😊

[LoneEra in reply to Ellington77]

Get tests done though, don’t let them just label you with menopause stuff!

Sweating and temperature issues are quite common with fibro x

[Ellington77 in reply to LoneEra]

I'll make sure to get tests, thank you so much, you've been very helpful 😊

[AllthatGlitters in reply to Ellington77]

Have a look at the Balance App by Dr Louise Newson, it’s very helpful x

[Makie-Uppie in reply to Ellington77]

I theoretically should not be menopausal having the wrong arrangement of chromosomes, then again everybody is a big mixing pot so perhaps I a bit more XX than XY. The sweats I get are often accompanied by sudden weakness to the point of blacking out, definitely not diabetic. can sweat enough water to supply a small desert nation for a week, I've heard of water on the brain but I didn't think they meant this dam thing.

[Just-keep-swimming]

Hi Ellington77. Have you tried Neat 3B face saver? It's like a sweat blocker for your face. I hear you with the makeup dropping off your chin. Not a good look. It does help my face stay put though. Good luck! x

[deb26bie]

Hi .....you are not alone I am exactly the same....I went shopping with my little girl who is 9 yesterday and the sweat was dripping off my face down my neck on to my chest my hair was soaked ......she looked at me and said mummy are you ok your face and hair is really wet......I said yes baby I'm fine.....I find it very embarrassing..... even when walking I have to stop every few feet as I'm in constant pain all the time. I struggle to leave the house everytime ...I get very anxious and panic and have to psych myself up to leave. I hate it as this is definately not me I would drive anywhere any distance but since having fybro it has totally changed me ...I've been off work since January and depression has got worse and the anxiety .....I really don't feel I am the mum and partner I was.

[LoneEra in reply to deb26bie]

Please speak to your GP ❤️ There are tablets they can give you to help with this. Just explain that it’s really impacting your self esteem and mental health. Things can be better than this xx

[LoneEra in reply to LoneEra]

See Linda’s reply for living proof of what I said here! Get that GP appointment booked xx

[000Linda1964]

I had the same problem and did some research, I found a drug called Oxybutenin I spoke to my GP at the time and he was willing to try me on it, I take 5mg 3 times a day and as they say the rest is history. I have been taking it for about 9years now and it's still effective. The drug is licenced for bladder problems it decreases urgency and frequency of urination as it is an antispasmodic. Hope this is helpful.

[CheetieCat in reply to 000Linda1964]

Just checked side effects on this one - dry eyes, nose, mouth ...... Having these issues already would be reluctant to add to to the mix. Years ago tried clonodine hydrochloride, couldn't tolerate side effects on that one either but it did work well for sweating & flushing. Really glad you're getting good results ☺️

[CheetieCat]

No you're not alone unfortunately! Can't remember last time I wore make up, gave up as just can't keep it on. Even a tinted moisturiser just melts off! Wearing masks at work are an absolute nightmare 🥵

[MaggieSylvie]

Well! I didn't know that! I suffer from excessive facial sweating and have put it down to being so unfit that when I do undertake some mild activity this happens. I also have to wear Factor 50 when outside, and have blamed that for sealing in the moisture, but that must be faulty thinking. When I get hot through temperature rising it is also my face that does most of the sweating. My fibromyalgia is in the background because I have other issues but I guess it's still there in the background. I must make a note of all the helpful advice given in others' replies before the posts disappear!

[LoneEra in reply to MaggieSylvie]

Just FYI, there are some mineral powder sunscreens available in factor 50. Some are not as good as traditional creams, but some are - and you don’t get the sticky face!

Here’s an article: byrdie.com/powder-sunscreen... xx

[MaggieSylvie in reply to LoneEra]

Oooh, thanks very much for that, LoneEra. I haven't worn anything but moisturizer since lockdown and have just started on my tube of tinted F50. When it's nearly finished I'll try what you suggest. xx

[MaggieSylvie in reply to LoneEra]

Fantastic site! Of course, I need to get some as a top up for my normal F50, so sooner rather than later, though it looks somewhat expensive. But there's lots of information on Byrdie. So thank you for that.

[LoneEra in reply to MaggieSylvie]

It is a great site. Loads of skincare and hair care tips 🙂 The powder is a little expensive but it lasts ages. So if you ever fancy treating yourself, have a look! Take care xx

[Pte82]

Ellington77 have you had your vitamin D level tested? Low D could be involved in your facial sweating.

[glochessum]

I’m going on to hrt to see if it helps, I really can’t stand it anymore.

[Dylan62x]

I used to sweat like a pig at times it got so bad that I was sleeping on a bath sheet at night in bed, getting out of the shower I was fine until I started to dry myself and I was wet through with sweat so back in the shower got out again and I just sat at the bottom of my bed with a towel around my waist until I was dry . I finally saw an oncologist who believe it or not did some tests and I was diagnosed with sleep apnea since using my c-pap machine no more sweating and to be honest I don't have a clue how sweating and sleep apnea have got anything to do with each other at all it just boggles the mind 🤯

[JayCeon]

It intrigues me, esp. that it can be just in the face. I've always been a bit of a sweater, which was considerably reduced by fibro, meaning I had to change my t-shirts less often; until my TCM-acupressurist restored my cold tolerance again by activating the "inner cooking pot" which stabilized my temperature tolerance again. So I've never had reason to think of it in terms of fibro. But now I've had a look on pubmed and seen - a study that 32% of 845 fibromites suffered from hyperhidrosis, 10x more than any other single skin condition (?! Laniosz et al., 2014) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/244...,

- a study that sweating may be reduced (diminished autonomic regulation) (that'd be me then) in accordance with evidence of small nerve fiber neuropathy (SNF) (Reyes Del Paso et al, 2020, (a corrrection), pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/333...

- there is however a very recent study (Bailly, 2021) using sweating as a pointer to differentiate the overlap between SFN and FMS in the direction of SFN, and an old one (Collins et al, 2008) doing the same for CRPS-I - so those 2 might be diagnoses to have a look at. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/340..., pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/185...

- a study linking exaggerated muscular contraction (also muscle stiffness), sweating and constriction of blood vessels with changes in several brain neurotransmitters, particularly serotonin and norepinephrine (Marvulli et al. 2015) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/258....

The latter'd also be connected to me and also to the mention of oxybutenin and clonodine hydrochloride above, as using GABA, which drastically decreases my muscle stiffness and improves my bladder problems, I assume by changing the serotonin, whilst not making my mouth too dry, much less than meds anyway. For 'sweaters' it may suggest trying GABA. For me it suggests looking at my sweating more closely...

Last study I saw was one linking sweating to duloxetine ('Cymbalta'), so that'd also be one to watch (Ormseth et al, 2011), pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/218...

[freespirit7]

hi Ellington i thought i was alone with the head sweating , any little thing i do for longer than a few minutes , dripping from my face have to wash my hair every day . I thought it was the drugs tramadol . good luck with your gp . my doctor doesn't listen to me ,

[denny_the_wench]

Me too - and it has got worse in the last couple of years - didn't know it was yet another one of those "Fibro effects" - flippin 'eck 🤬. Mine isn't so much the face but the nape of my neck up to the top of my cranium at the back. I look like I've just walked out of the shower when it comes on and it literally pours down from my temples and down my back in a trickle. The rest of me is not sweaty at all!

Interesting that JayCeon pointed to the study linking it to Duloxetine... I'm on 60mg now- recently up from 30mg, and whilst I've always had the same sweat I have noticed that it comes on much more quickly now and fanning myself; wiping it dry or wearing a towel round my neck don't seem to stop it - it's almost like it has a certain amount of fluid to get rid of, but like MaggieSylvie I'd put it down to being unfit and overweight (which is going slowly now I can get out again), or simply "running out of spoons" as it often comes with a sudden drop in energy.

So good to know I'm not alone with it though - but sorry that we all have to suffer it